Postprandial exercise represents an important tool for improving the glycemic response to a meal. This study evaluates the effects of the combination and sequence of different exercise types on the postprandial glycemic response in patients with type 2 diabetes. In this repeated-measures crossover study, eight patients with type 2 diabetes performed five experimental conditions in a randomized order: (i) uninterrupted sitting (CON); (ii) 30 min of moderate intensity aerobic exercise (walking) (A); (iii) 30 min of combined aerobic and resistance exercise (AR); (iv) 30 min of combined resistance and aerobic exercise (RA); and (v) 15 min of resistance exercise (R). All the exercise sessions started 30 min after the beginning of a standardized breakfast. All the exercise conditions showed a significant attenuation of the post-meal glycemic excursion (P < 0.003) and the glucose incremental area under the curve at 0-120 min (P < 0.028) and 0-180 min (P < 0.048) compared with CON. A greater reduction in the glycemic peak was observed in A and AR compared to RA (P < 0.02). All the exercise types improved the post-meal glycemic response in patients with type 2 diabetes, with greater benefits when walking was performed alone or before resistance exercise.
Keywords: aerobic exercise; circuit training; combined exercise; glycemic peak; post-meal glycemia; resistance exercise; walking.